Invitation to world religions 2nd edition pdf download

Invitation to world religions 2nd edition pdf download

Invitation to world religions,Bookreader Item Preview

WebJul 14,  · July 14, Ebook: Invitation to World Religions 2nd Edition by Jeffrey Brodd (PDF) Religion - Advertisement - Ebook Info Published: Number of pages: WebInvitation to World Religions (2nd Edition) Format: PDF eTextbooks ISBN ISBN Delivery: Instant Download Authors: Jeffrey Brodd WebAbout the book Invitation To World Religions 2nd Edition Pdf Free Download. This is the second edition of this world-renowned textbook originally published in It has WebInvitation To World Religions 2nd Edition Pdf Free Download It is a book of knowledge, information and wisdom. This book of invitations to world religions 2nd edition pdf Web1 • An Invitation to the Study of World Religions APPROACHING THE STUDY OF WORLD RELIGIONS 3 4 Religion as a Subject of Academic Inquiry 5 WHAT ... read more

The general category "spirituality," for ex­ ample, would not necessarily qualify as religion based on Lincoln's definition. We now shift our focus from what religions are to consider what religions do. In the next section, we analyze various functions of religion, concentrating especially on the fundamental questions to which religious traditions provide answers. WHAT RELIGIONS DO Whatever one chinks a religion is, chis much remains certain: a religion does. This face is closely related to the challenge of defining religion. Some theorists have empha­ sized chis functional side of religion in their explanations. In some cases, this results in explaining away or reducing religion co being an effect or result of ocher forces. Underlying Durkheim's definition, for example, is a theory chat reduces religion co being an effect of societal forces, a mechanism that, having been produced in the first place by societal needs, functions in turn to promote social unity.

Here is a clear case in point that definitions reveal as much about the intentions of the theorist as they do What Religions Do 11 about the nature of rdigion. As Durkheim is a founder of sociology, it is not surpris­ ing chat he emphasizes the social aspects of rdigion. Consider also chis assertion from psychologist Sigmund Freud : Religion would thus be the universal obsessional neurosis of hu­ manity; like the obsessional neurosis of children, it arose out of the Oedipus complex, out of the relation to the father. Political philosopher Karl Marx , likewise an atheist, offers an even more antagonistic assessment: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. In other words, reli­ gion is the self-consciousness and self-feeling of man who has either not yet found himself or has already lost himself again.

But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man, the state, society Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. Freud similarly regarded religion as an effect of ocher forces, viewing it as a by-product of psychological inAuences. According to Freud, religion functions as an unhealchy but soothing buffer against the inner terrors of the psyche. For Marx, religion functions in a similarly unhealthy manner, as an opiate chat deters the suffering individual from attending to the true cause of affiiccion.

Contemp orary scholars largely regard these functionalist explanations as severely limited. Perhaps religions do function in these ways at certain times in certain situa­ tions; but surdy religions do much more. In face, neither Freud nor Marx ever actually cried co define religion; rather, they cried co explain it away. This does not diminish, however, the enduring relevance of these theorises for purposes of striving co under­ stand the big picture of the role religion plays in the lives of individuals and in societies. We can widen our vantage point on the functions of rdigion and produce a fairer and more accurate depiction by considering the variety of life's challenges that these traditions help people co face and co overcome.

Religious Questions and Challenges It might seem disrespectful or even blasphemous co ask, Why do religions exist? Yet, this is a perfeccly legitimate question. As human enterprises, religions naturally re­ spond co human needs and readily acknowledge reasons for their doctrines and ritu­ als. A typical reason has co do with some kind of perceived separation from the sacred or estrangement from a state of perfection or fulfillment. The human condition, as At sites like this Confucian temple in Beijing, China, Confucius Master K'ung is hon­ ored for his enduring contributions to Chinese culture. Sound defini­ tions of "religion" are flexible enough to in­ clude Confucianism as a religious tradition. Of the questions and challenges addressed by religions, these three are especially prominent: I. What is ultimate reality? How should we live in this world? What is our ultimate purpose? The rest of this book's chapters explore the ways major religions answer these ques­ tions.

For now, let's consider thes e questions more broadly. What Is Ultimate Reality? It is difficult co imagine a religion that has nothing to say about ultimate reality-even if this involves asserting that "ultimate" reality con­ sists of no more than the natural world and we human beings who inhabit it. Religions typically assert that ultimate reality is somehow divine, and explanation of the nature and role of the divine takes center stage in a religion's belief system. But the "divine" is not necessarily thought of as God or gods. When it is, we refer to that religion as a theistic from Greek theos, or god belief system.

When it is not, the religion is said to be nontheistic. Some fo rms of Buddhism, such as Zen, are clearly nontheistic. A help­ ful middle ground term is transtheistic, acknowledging the existence of gods -but of gods that are not vital with regard to the most crucial religious issues, such as the quest for enlightenment or salvation. Polytheism from Greek polys, or many is the belief in many gods "go ds" is considered a gender-neutral term and can-and often does-include goddesses. Monotheism from Greek monos, or only one is the belief in only one god and hence the term is normally capitalized-God-a proper noun referring to a specific being. Here, a kind of middle ground comes in the form of henotheism from Greek hen, the number one , which acknowledges a plural­ ity of gods but elevates one of them to special status.

Some forms of Hindu devotion to a particular god such as Vishnu or Shiva are henotheistic. Pantheism from Greek pan, or all is the belief that the divine is identical to nature or the material world. Although not one of the world's living religions, the ancient Greek and Roman religious philosophy known as Stoicism is an example. le is important to bear in mind, too, that the world's religions often feature entities that are supernatural and yet are not necessarily gods. These quasi-divine figures, such as angels, demons, and the monsters of myths, are difficult to categorize but are important elements of religion nonetheless.

To complicate matters further, scholars of non-Western religions have com­ monly used the term god to refer to supernatural beings that are more similar to angels, or even to the saints of Catholic tradition. The theos in the "polytheism" of such non­ Western religions therefore often refers to a very different type of being than does the theos in "monotheism. What Religions Do 13 Nontheistic belief systems include those that uphold atheism, which in a modern context is a perspective that denies the existence of God or gods. In ancient times, a person co uld be labeled an atheist for denying the significance of deities, even while believing that they exist. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, for example, Epicureans were considered to be atheists. Even according to the modern meaning of atheism, some atheists ne vertheless could be regarded as religio us­ depending on how one defines "religion. Current trends in religiosity among young people suggest that atheism, along with its less insistent relative, agnosticism which only refus es to assert the existence of God or gods, rather than outright denying it , are becom­ ing more prevalent and deserving of academic inquiry.

A May Pew Forum study indicates that For more on the Pew Forum study, see the Online Reso urces list at the end of this chapter; the issue of atheism is addressed further in Chapter Related to this categorical label of nontheism is monism, the belief chat all reality is ultimately one. Some Hindus, for example, while beli eving in many gods and god­ desses, hold that Brahman, impersonal and ultimately indescribable, is the essence of all. Those Hindus therefore embrace monism, which is also described as nondualistic, because there is no distinction between the divine reality on one hand and the rest of reality, including human individu als, on the ocher.

These attempts at categorizing perspectives on ultimate reality involve some compli­ cations. Some Hindus are monistic because they understand all reality ultimately to be one thing: Brahman. But some of those same monistic Hindus also pay homage to a va­ riety of supernatural and divine beings, and thus might also be described as polytheists. Along with asserting the existence of ultimate re ality, religions describe how chis re ality is revealed to human beings. The fow1dational moments of revelation are fre­ quently recorded in sacred texts, or scriptures. In the case of theistic religions, scrip­ tures set forth narratives describing the role of God or the gods in history and also include prono uncements directly attributed to the divine. In the Jewish and Christian Bible, for example, God's will regarding ethical behavior is expressed directly in d1e Ten Commandments. The giving of the Ten Commandments is described in the nar­ rative about the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, in which God is said to have played a central role.

This painting, produced in , depicts the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati with their children, Ganesha and Kar tikeya. Hindus believe in many gods and god­ desses; these four­ especially Shiva-are among the most popular. An Invitation to the Study of World Religions Among nontheistic religions particular-but also among the mystical traditions that form part of every religious cradicion-revelacion often combines tex­ tual transmission with a direct experience of revelation. Revelation is usually experi­ enced by a founding figure of the religion, whose experiences are lacer written about; subsequent believers can then experience similar types of revelation, which requires their own participation.

Buddhists, for ex­ ample, have scriptural records that describe the Buddha's experience of nirvana, as well as pronouncements by deities praising the ultimate value of that experience. Followers muse then connect co such revelation through practices such as meditation. Another helpful way of thinking about revelation is offered by historian of reli­ gions Mircea Eliade , who describes a phenomenon he calls "hierophany," or "the act ofmanifestation of the sacred," which helps a people co establish its cosmol­ ogy, or religious understanding, of the order of the world. Bue the phenomenon of the hierophany is readily apparent within the world's major religions, often, but not always, as a theophany, a manifestation of God or of gods. The role of hierophanies in establishing places of special significance can be observed in many of the sites re­ lated to the founding figures and events of the major religions: Christianity's Church of the Nativity and other sacred sites related co the life of Christ ; Islam's sacred city of Mecca; Buddhism's Bodh Gaya, site of Gautama's foundational experience of Enlightenment; and so on.

Sacred moments establish sacred spatial monuments, thus establishing a sense of centrality and spatial order. Religions also have much to say about this world. Human beings have always asked searching questions about the origin and status of our planet and of the uni­ verse. Typically, these two issues-origin and status-are intertwined. If our world was intentionally fashioned by a creator god, for instance, then it bears the scamp of divine affirmation. Thus, the early chapters of the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible the Christian Old Testament describe the creative activity of God, including the creation of humankind.

In contrast, the creation stories of some religious tradi­ tions deemphasize the role of the divine will in bringing about the world, sometimes as in the religion of the ancient Greeks describing the advent of the principal deities after the universe itself has been created. The gods, like humans, come into a world chat is already established; gods and humans are depicted as sharing the world, which naturally affects the relationship between human and divine. In other religions, nota­ bly Hinduism, Buddhism, and other traditions that embrace liberation as the ultimate What Religions Do rdigious objective, this world is depicted as a kind of illusion.

le is thus not so surpris­ ing chat liberation involves being completdy freed from the confines of chis world. These are but a few examples of religious understanding of the narure of the world, a general category known as cosmology from kosmos, the Greek term for world or uni­ verse. Along with clarifying the origin and sacred status of the world, cosmology also explains how the world is ordered. Many traditions attribute the order of the universe to the doings of divine being s or forces. Yet in certain respects modern scientific explana­ tions set forth cosmologies chat are intriguingly similar to some rdigious cosmologies caught by religious personages of the distant past, such as Gautama the Buddha or Epicurus, a Greek philosopher who espoused a theory of atomism, arguing that real­ ity is composed entirely of a very large number of very small particles.

Recall that the Epicureans were labeled "atheists" because they denied the significance of the gods. Of course, a particular religion's cosmology strongly influences the degree to which its adherents are involved in caring for the world. On the one hand, religions chat are indifferent or hostile coward the natural world are not apt co encourage anything akin to environmentalism. On the ocher hand, a religion that teaches that the world is in­ herently sacred naturally encourages a sense of stewardship toward the natural world. Native American traditions, for example, are notably environmentally oriented. How Should We Live in This World? Many religions have much to say about God or other superhuman beings and phenomena, and yet all rdigions are human en­ terprises. Their teachings are communicated in human languages, their rituals are prac­ ticed by human participants, and their histories are entwined with the development of human societies and cultures.

Religions also explain what it is co be a human being. Explanations regarding what it is to be human also figure into ethical or moral considerations. Are we by nature good, evil, or somewhere in between? Religions tend co recognize that human beings do not always do the right thing, and they commonly offer teachings and disciplines directed coward moral or ethical improvement. On the one hand, to say that we are by nature good, and at the same time to recognize moral failings, is to infer chat some cause external to our nature is causing the shortcoming. If we are by narure evil, on the ocher hand, or at least naturally prone to doing wrong, then the moral challenge lies within and the means of improvement would need to be directed inwardly. Religions typically prescribe what is right behavior and what is wrong, based on a set of ethical tenets, such as the Jewish and Christian Ten Commandments.

In fact, the prospects of improving the human condition and of faring well in an afterlife are often understood to depend upon right ethical behavior. The ethical teachings of many religions are notably similar. The so-called Golden Rule "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you"13 in the Christian New Testament is reflected in the scriptures of virtually all of the world's major traditions. The rdigions differ, however, over the source of ethical truth. Some emphasize revealed ethics, asserting that God, or some other supernatural force such as Hindu dharma ethical dut y , has established what constitutes right behavior and has revealed 15 16 CHAPTER 1 An Invitation to the Study of World Religions this to human beings. The divine will might be conceived of as God or gods , or it might take the form of an impersonal principle, such as dharma. Another common ap­ proach, in some forms of Buddhism, for example, emphasizes the role of conscience in the moral delib­ erations of each individual.

These two emphases are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Some religions, Christianity among them, teach that both revealed ethics and indi­ vidual conscience work together to distinguish right from wrong. What Is Our Ultimate Purpose? The challenge of mortality-the Si xteenth-century triptych altar painting depicting the creation of Eve center , the eating of the forbidden fruit left , and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden right. This story of hu­ mankind's first sin sets forth b asic biblical p er­ spectives on the human condition. fact that we are destined to die­ is sometimes cited as the primary motivating force behind religion. And although it is true that all religions have something to say about death, the diversity of perspectives is striking.

For example, whereas Christianity, with its focus on the resurrection of Christ and the hope of eternal life, can be said to make mortality a central concern, Zen Buddhism, drawing inspiration from the classic Daoist tex ts, simply acknowl­ edges the natural place of death in the order of things. Both the challenge of mortality and the issue of o ur moral nature relate to ques­ tions regarding the human condition. In many faiths, how we conduct ourselves in this world will determine our fates after we die. Most religions acknowledge that human beings are destined to die although some, such as Daoism, have aspired to discover the means of inducing physical immortality.

As we have noted, some religions have little to say about the prospects of life beyond death. But most religions do provide explanations regarding the fate of the individual after death, and their explanations vary widely. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all maintain belief in samsara, the "wheel of life" that implies a series of lives, deaths, and rebirths for every individual. The ultimate aim of each of these religions is liberation from samsara. But most of the adherents of these religions anticipate that death will lead to rebirth into ano ther life form not necessarily human , one in a long series of rebirths. Furthermore, the reborn are destined for any one of multiple realms, including a variety of hells and heavens. Ocher religions, for example, Christianity and Islam, teach that individuals are destined for some sort of afterlife, usually a version of heaven or of hell.

Sometimes the teachings are more complicated. The traditional Catholic doctrine of purgatory, for example, anticipates an intermediary destiny somewhere between the bliss of heaven What Religions Do and the agony of hell, where an individual can gradually be purified from sin, ulti­ mately achieving salvation and entry to heaven. Given what a religion says about the human condition, what ultimate purpose is the religious life intended to achieve? ls there a state of existence to which the religious person can hope to aspire that perfectly completes or even transcends the human con­ dition, overcoming entirely its cares and shortcomings?

One such state of existence is the numinous experience, as described by Rudolf Otto in his classic work The Idea of the Holy Otto , a Protestant theologian and a philosopher of religion, describes the encounter with "the Holy" as "numinous," a term he coined from the Latin numen, meaning spirit or divinity. A genuine numinous experience, Otto asserts, is characterized by two powerful and contending forces: mysterium tremendum and fascinans. Mysterium tremendum, which in Latin means "awe-inspiring mystery," is the feeling of awe that overw helms a person who experiences the majestic presence of the "wholly other. The encounter with the Holy is thus alluring fascinans even as it is frightening on account of the awe-inspiring mystery mysterium tremendum. The biblical phenomenon of the " fear of God" fits this description, as the God who is being feared is at the same time recog­ nized as the source of life and the hope for salvation.

Otto's analysis of the numinous experience remains an important contribution to religious studies, although it suffers from a significant limitation: based in his Protestant Christian outlook, it may ring true to a Protestant; from a global perspec­ tive, however, the analysis is rather narrow. For example, Otto discounts the mystical experience, a category that includes such phenomena as Buddhist nirvana, the com­ plete dissolution of an individual's sense of selfhood said by Buddhists to be a state of perfect bliss and ultimate fulfillment. According to Otto, nirvana involves too much foscinans without enough mysterium tremendum. Recall that Bruce Lincoln's definition of religion is based on the notion of the tran­ scendent. Both the numinous experience and nirvana are examples of transcendent states of existence.

For Otto, the numinous experience depends on the existence of "the Holy," or God. For many Buddhists, the experience of nirvana does not depend whatso­ ever on belief in God or gods. Most world religions, whether or not they embrace belief in a supernatural being, assert the possibility of such a transcendent state of existence, an ultimate objective of the religious life that brings complete fulfillment of all spiri­ tual longings. For a Buddhist who has experienced nirvana, there is, paradoxically, no longer a need for Buddhism. The religious life has been lived to its fullest extent, and the ultimate objective has been reached. Because nirvana involves the complete extinc­ tion of individual existence, it is truly transcendent of the hwnan condition. Other religions, in varying ways, also sec forth ultimate objectives, whether or not they imply the complete transcendence of the human condition.

In some cases, spiritual fulfill­ ment can be said to consist of living in harmony with nature. Others acknowledge the supernatural-usually God or gods -and the need for human beings to live in perfect 17 18 CHAPTER 1 An Invitation to the Study of World Religions Moses and the Burning Bush , charcoal and pa stel on paper by Hans Feibusch. In the drawing, God reveals himself to Moses in a bush tha t is on fire but not consumed by the flames. The event is described in Exodus, the second book of the Hebrew Bible Old Testament. relationship with it.

Christianity, for example, offers salvation from the ef­ fects of sin, which otherwise estrange the individual from God. Sometimes spiritual fulfillment is thought to be achievable in this lifetime; other times it is projected into the distant future, after many lifetimes. Of course, improving upon the human condition does not have to involve complete transcendence. Day to day the world over, religious people improve upon the human condition in all sorts of ways. Bel ief in a loving God gives hope and fortitude in the face of life's unccnaincies. Medication and prayer bring an enhanced sense of tranquility. Religious motivations often lie behind charitable acts. Belonging to a religious group offers social benefits that can be deeply fulfilling.

Even for individuals who do not par­ ticipate directly in a religious tradition, sacred art, architecture, and music can bring joy. Religion and Violence This section on religious questions and challenges has thus far emphasized what "should" be done according to religious ideals. Bue everyone in today's world recog­ nizes chat actions are done in the name of religion chat hardly seem compatible with ideals or moral imperatives. News about the moral failings of religious leaders or the usurpation of religious institutions by groups that pervert and exploit their teachings surfaces quite frequently. Even more troubling is the constant barrage of reports re­ garding acts of terrorism and other forms of violence committed in the name of reli­ gion.

Could there be something about religion itself that motivates such harmful acts? Religion, as noted at the beginning of this chapter, is a potent force, in ways that are both constructive and destructive. Consider again Bruce Lincoln's four-domain definition of a religion, and note that it does not portray religion as necessarily being a force for peace in the world. The "discourse" that claims a "transcendent status," and the "practices," "community," and "institution" related to this discourse need not necessarily be based on avoiding violence. on after September 11, religion has the potential to facilitate and even to escalate violence.

Lincoln concludes his book with a list of fourteen "Theses on Religion and Violence," the last of which states: Just as the use of violence tends to elicit a violent riposte, so the reli­ gious valorization of violence prompts its victims to frame their violent responses in religious terms. In doing so, they normally invert the What Religions Do signs through which their adversaries mark one side as sacred and the other profane. When both sides experience their struggle in religious terms, the stage is set for prolonged, ferocious, and enormously de­ structive combat. But as we observe fre­ quently in today's world, even when just one side in a conflict justifies actions by belief in "transcendent" authority, there is a risk of religiously motivated violence, even co the point of caking the Lives of ochers and of losing one's own. Dimensions of Religions Sound definitions strive co be universal in scope.

Along with a sound definition, a means of categorizing the common, though not necessarily universal, components of a subject of study can often prove beneficial. We now explore possibilities for identi­ fying religious phenomena, in pare to bring home the important point chat there is no "right" or "wrong" way co go about categorizing them. Instead, we seek che most useful means given the cask at hand. This will lead naturally to clarifying how chis book goes about organizing its presentation of material. Some scholarly approaches co the world's religions feature specific categories of phenomena as the primary means of organizing information. Although each chapter of chis book is organized around these three main categories, we do not devote equal attention co each category. To do so would be to ignore the varying nature of the religious traditions and to force an inappropriately rigid structure.

Judaism, for example, calls for extensive attention co historical development in order co best understand the context of its teach­ ings and practices; Jainism, for which an early h istorical record barely exists, does not. Teachings Meditating Buddha, sixth century c. Sculptures of the Buddha typical ly depict the serene calm of the enlightened state. Obviously, religions tend to involve beliefs. Bue as long as they remain private co the individual, beliefs are problematic for the student of religion. Once they are given outward expression in the form of a religion's teachings, however, beliefs can be ob­ served and interpreted. Such public beliefs are manifested as doctrines or creeds-sets of concepts chat are believed in. The term creed derives from the Latin verb credo, meaning "I be­ lieve. Most Christians, for example, regularly acknowledge belief in the statements of the Nicene Creed. Religious teachings include another significant category, often referred to as myth as noted in Smart's "mythic" di­ mension.

In contrast co the modern connotation of myth as a falsehood, myth as understood by the academic field of religious studies is a powerful source of sacred truth. Sec forth in narrative form and originally conveyed orally, myths do not depend on empirical verifiability or rational coherence for their power. Believers simply accept chem as true accounts, often involving events of primordial time chat describe the origin of things. As we have noted previously, religions typically include ethical instructions, whether doctrinal or mythic, among their teachings. And as Smart readily acknowl­ edges, the various dimensions are closely interrelated; the ethical dimension, for ex­ ample, extends into the doctrinal and the mythic, and so forth. Historical Development The world's major religions-all of which are many centuries old-have long and in­ tricate histories.

Thus, the historical development of religious traditions incorporates a vase sweep of social, artistic, and ocher cultural phenomena. The wide array of artistic, architectural, and other aspects of material culture gen­ erated within religious traditions is obvious co anyone who has studied arc history. The ornate Hindu temple sculptures, the majestic statues of Jain circhankaras, the math­ ematically ordered architectural features oflslamic arabesque decor-all attest co the role of religion in the nurturing of material culture. Other forms of artistic creation, most prominently music and cheater, also are significant features of religions.

And, as Smart helpfully clarifies when discussing the material dimension of religion, some traditions designate natural entities mountains, rivers, wooded groves as sacred. Social institutions and phenomena, such as economic activities, politics, social class structures, and hierarchies, interact with the historical development of religious Relig ions in the Modern World traditions. As we have observed, Marx and Durkheim went as far as co reduce religion co being entirely the effect of economic and societal forces, respectively. Even for theo rises who ope not co go nearly as far as they did, che relevance of such phenomena is obvio us. Way of Life This main category features two types of religio us phenomena: practices and modes of experience, both of which are included among Smart's seven dimensions of religion, as the ritual or practical and the experiential or emotional dimensions.

Some such elements are tangible and readily observable and describable, such as a ritual like the exchange of marriage vows or the procession of pilgrims co a shrine. Others are highly personal and therefore hidden from the outsider's view. One of the great challenges of studying religions rests precisely in this personal, private quality. Modes of experience such as Buddhist nirvana are by definition beyond the reach of empirical observation and of description. Rudolf Otto, throughout his analysis, emphasizes the impossibility of fully describing che "numinous" experience. Even common practices such as prayer and meditation involve an inner aspect that is inaccessible to anyone who is not shar­ ing the experience.

Although t he present book can adeq uately illustrate and explain these experiential phenomena, it cannot be expected to provide a full disclosure at certain points. Such is the nature of religion. RELIGIONS IN THE MODERN WO RLD A sound analysis of the world's religions must take account of the rapid changes that characterize the modern world. Historical transformations, accelerated during the past 21 Devil s Tower, located in northeastern Wyoming, is regarded as a sacred place by many Native Americans.

This book cakes into account such fu. ccors whenever appropriate. Here we introduce four phenomena char will reappear frequently: mod­ ernization, urbanization, globalization, and mulciculcuralism. We give special accen­ tion to two features of modernization char are especially noteworthy for our study: the increasingly visible place of women within religious traditions and the encounter of religion and science. Modernization and Related Phenomena Bongeunsa Temple, founded in c. Modernization is che general process through which societies transform economi­ cally, socially, and culturally to keep pace with an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Jes nee effects include increased literacy, i mproved education, en­ hanced technologies, self-sustaining economies, the increased roles of women in various aspects of society, and the greater involvement of the general populace in government as in democracies.

All these effects involve corresponding changes within religious traditions. Higher literacy races and improved education, for ex­ ample, facilitate increased access co religious rexes chat previously were controlled by and confined co the religious el ice. Technological advances, screngchened econo­ mies, and increased participation in government all nurture greater equality for and empowerment of the common people. Moreover, a general feature of modernity is its tendency to deny the authority of tradition and the past. Traditional patriarchal modes, for example, have tended over rime co be diminished. Around the globe, we are witnessing a general erosion of long-standing power struc­ tures within religions.

Obviously, chis is nor che case in all circumstances; changes have tended co occur in differenc societies ac different rimes, and some religious inscicucions arc better equipped co resist change. Urbanization Urbanization, che shift of pop­ ulation cenccrs Ii-om rural, agricultural settings to cities, is a significant demographic effect of mod­ ernization. A century ago, only about 10 percent of the global popular ion lived in cities; today, this figure has risen co more than 50 percent. Many re­ ligious traditions developed within primarily rural seccings, with calendars of holy days and rituals paccerned around agricultural cycles. For most re­ ligious people, such paccerns have far less relevance today. Religions in the Modern World Globalization Globalization is che linking and intermixing of cultures.

le ac­ celerated quickly during the centuries of exploration and colonization and has been nurtured considerably by the advanced technologies brought about by moderniza­ tion. The extent of chis linking and intermixing is evinced in the very term World Wide Web, and the pronounced and rapidly evolving effects of the Internee and other technologies have been extraordinary. The almost instantaneous exchange of infor­ mation that this technology allows is more or less paralleled by better means of trans­ portation. In sum, we now live in a global community that could hardly have been imagined a few decades ago. Multiculturalism The most pronounced religious effects of globalization pertain co the closely related phenomenon of multiculturalism , the coexistence of different peoples and their cultural ways in one time and place. Many people today live in re­ ligiously pluralistic societies, no longer sheltered from the presence of religions ocher than their own.

This plurality increases the degree of influence exerted by one religion on another, making it difficult for many individuals co regard any one religious tra­ dition as the only viable one. This circumstance, in turn, fosters general questioning and critical assessment of religion. To some extent, such questioning and critical as­ sessment erodes t he authority traditionally attributed to religion. Glo balization, then, like modernization, has nurtured the notably modern process of secularization, the general turning away from traditional religious authority and institutions. The Changing Roles of Women in Religions One of the more pronounced effects of modernization on world religions has been the increased visibility and prominence of women within many traditions. To some extent, this increase also has caused the furtherance of modernization. As women in­ creasingly feel themselves empowered and are afforded opportunities to effect change, chcir momentum propels modernizing transformations.

Traditional patriarchal modes have tended co give way co more egalitarian ones, and old assumptions have gradually receded. To cite just one example, in the lase twenty years the percentage of clergy in Protestant Christian churches who are women has risen quite dramatically. According to a survey, whereas in only 5 percent of senior pastors were female, ten years later this figure had doubled co IO percent. Sometimes referred to as women's studies or as gender studies, academic approaches based in feminist theory have revealed the strong historical tendency of religious traditions co subordinate women and co enforce the perpetuation of patriarchal systems.

On the one hand, these studies have revealed con­ tributions of women through the ages that have hitherto been largely ignored, while on the other hand they have prompted changes within some religions that have expanded the roles of women and have provided opportunities for their greater prominence. In 23 24 CHAPTER 1 An Invitation to the Study of World Religions other words, studies based in feminist theory have to some extent changed the religions themsdves, along with providing new and potent means of studying them. The Encounter of Religion and Science A miniature illustration from the "Automata of al-Jazari," a Muslim scholar, inventor, en­ gineer, mathematician, and astronomer who lived from to Perhaps no single feature of modernization has been more challenging to traditional religious ways-and more nurturing of secularization-than the encounter of religion with science.

One need only think of the impact of Charles Darwin's Origin ofSpecies and its theory of evolution to note the potential for conflict between scientific and traditional rdigious worldviews. The question of whether the biblical account of creation should be taught alongside the theor y of evolution in schools is a divisive issue in some predominantly Christian societies today. In the domain of cosmology, too, science has tended to overwhdm traditional perspectives, such as the idea that the Earth is somehow the center of the cosmos, as implied in the Bible and in the creation myths of many traditions. Many more examples could be drawn from the history of religions and the history of science to illustrate the ongoing potential for conflict between these two domains. Of course, religions are not always hostile to science. In fact, as we have already noted, sometimes modern scientific theories seem almost to converge with ancient rdigious outlooks.

Acquiring a more sophisticated perspective on the encounter of religion and science requires us to consider the underlying reasons for both conflict and convergence. Fundamental to the scientific method is dependence on empirical data, the ob­ servable "facts" of any given situation. To a large extent, religions do not rely only on the observable as a source of determining truth. Religious belief is often character­ ized precisely by commitment to the nonobservable, such as a supernatural being. This term, "supernatural," indicates another point of conten­ tion between religion and science. For whereas science takes it for granted that the universe consistently obeys certain laws of nature, religions commonly embrace belief in beings and events that are not subject to these laws. And yet, these issues of natural laws and of the observable versus the unobservable also lead to points of convergence be­ tween science and rdigion. Sign up for free Log in.

Search metadata Search text contents Search TV news captions Search radio transcripts Search archived web sites Advanced Search. Invitation to world religions Bookreader Item Preview. remove-circle Internet Archive's in-browser bookreader "theater" requires JavaScript to be enabled. It appears your browser does not have it turned on. Please see your browser settings for this feature. remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. EMBED for wordpress. com hosted blogs and archive. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! xx, , [24] pages : 24 cm Includes bibliographical references and index Machine generated contents note: -- CHAPTER 1. HINDUISM -- The Teachings of Hinduism -- Hindu Beliefs About God -- Hindu Philosophical and Social Concepts -- VOICES: An Interview with Saraswati Krishnan -- Texts in Hinduism -- The Sects of Hinduism -- Hinduism as a Way of Life -- Seeing the Divine Image: Temples and Icons -- Forms of Worship -- Yoga Traditions and Asceticism -- Rites of Passage -- Pilgrimage -- Festivals and Holidays -- Performance Traditions -- The History of Hinduism -- Indus Valley -- Who Are the Aryans?

BUDDHISM -- The Teachings of Buddhism -- Meeting the Buddha -- The Life of the Buddha -- The Basics of the Buddha's Teaching -- Buddhist Sects and Texts -- VOICES: An Interview with Katherine Sei -- Women in Buddhism -- Buddhism as a Way of Life -- Meditation and the Cultivation of Mind -- Mantra, Liturgic Ritual, and Chanting -- Ordination and "Being a Buddhist" -- Sacred Places and Objects of Worship -- Festivals -- Funerary Rites -- The Wider Implications of Buddhist Ritual and Practice -- The History of Buddhism -- The Period of the Buddhist Councils -- The Period of Expansion -- The Development of Mahayana in Monasteries -- Buddhism Beyond India -- The Beginnings of the Western Transmission -- Buddhists in the World Today -- CHAPTER 6.

JAINISM -- The Teachings of Jainism -- Mahavira, the Twenty-fourth and Last Tirthankara of this World Cycle -- An Eternal Succession of Tirthankaras -- Jainism and Hinduism -- Ahimsa and Asceticism: Jainism's Ideals -- Theory of the Universe -- Liberation and Salvation -- VOICES: An Interview With Girish Shah -- Jainism as a Way of Life -- Digambaras and Shvetambaras -- The Ascetic Life -- The Religious Life of the Jain Laity -- The History of Jainism -- The Indian Historical Context -- The Legacy of the Tirthankaras: Jainism through the Centuries -- Jainism in Today's World -- CHAPTER 7. SIKHISM -- The Teachings of Sikhism -- The Life of Guru Nanak -- Sikh Scripture -- On God, the Human Condition, and Spiritual Liberation -- Teachings of Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa -- VOICES: An Interview with Onkar Singh -- Sikhism as a Way of Life -- Daily Devotional Practices -- Sikh Worship in the Gurdwara -- Worship, Work, and Charity -- Women and Sikhism -- The History of Sikhism -- Guru Nanak's Successors -- Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa -- Sikhs and Nationalism -- Sikh Identity -- Sikhs in the Diaspora -- CHAPTER 8.

SHINTO -- The Teachings of Shinto -- The Meaning of Kami -- Creation Myth in the Kojiki -- VOICES: An Interview with Watanabe Minoru -- Shinto as a Way of Life -- Fertility Rites -- Women in Shinto -- Rites of Purification, Presentation, Petition, and Participation -- Religious Observances throughout the Year -- The History of Shinto -- Medieval Shinto -- The Modern Period -- Shinto in Japan Today -- CHAPTER JUDAISM -- The History of Judaism -- Dispersion, Assimilation, and Collective Identity -- The Biblical Period -- The Second Temple Period -- The Formative Age -- The Conflict Between Judaism and Christianity -- The Age of Philosophy and Mysticism -- The Modern Era -- Reform Movements in Europe and in the U. Remember me on this computer. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

Need an account? Click here to sign up. Download Free PDF.

edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. To browse Academia. edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to upgrade your browser. Log in with Facebook Log in with Google. Remember me on this computer. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Need an account? Click here to sign up. Download Free PDF. PDF Invitation to World Religions by Jef. Richie Christie. See Full PDF Download PDF. The benefit you get by reading this book is actually information inside this reserve incredible fresh, you will get information which is getting deeper an individual read a lot of information you will get. This kind of [] Invitation to World Religions without we recognize teach the one who looking at it become critical in imagining and analyzing. This [] Invitation to World Religions having great arrangement in word and layout, so you will not really feel uninterested in reading. About Press Blog People Papers Topics Job Board We're Hiring!

Help Center Find new research papers in: Physics Chemistry Biology Health Sciences Ecology Earth Sciences Cognitive Science Mathematics Computer Science Terms Privacy Copyright Academia ©

PDF Invitation to World Religions by Jef,Useful Links

Webformat, Invitation to World Religions, Second Edition, is a clear and concise introduction to world religions. There are zero markings of any kind. Opens image gallery Image not WebJul 14,  · July 14, Ebook: Invitation to World Religions 2nd Edition by Jeffrey Brodd (PDF) Religion - Advertisement - Ebook Info Published: Number of pages: WebJan 16,  · Download Introduction To World Religions Second Edition book pdf or read power of hope book pdf online books in PDF, EPUB and Mobi Format. Click Web1 • An Invitation to the Study of World Religions APPROACHING THE STUDY OF WORLD RELIGIONS 3 4 Religion as a Subject of Academic Inquiry 5 WHAT WebInvitation to World Religions (2nd Edition) Format: PDF eTextbooks ISBN ISBN Delivery: Instant Download Authors: Jeffrey Brodd WebInvitation To World Religions 2nd Edition Pdf Free Download It is a book of knowledge, information and wisdom. This book of invitations to world religions 2nd edition pdf ... read more

Ideally, the respect we have for life should be equal to the respect we have for death. In many Native myths, these lessons are taught through the exploits of a character known as a trickster. Training under the guidance of a Lakota healer, Caleb has practiced the difficult arts of fasting and enduring the heat. Embarking on a study of religions wichour concern over what, exactly, we are studying would be akin co setting off for foreign places to ex­ plore the nature of houses without first agreeing on what counts as a house. After that, his son is like his saliva, his spittle, in his being whether it be the son of a lord or the son of a craftsman, an orator. Because of the cyclical nature of time, the events related in myths arc not thought co be a pare of a distant and irrecoverable past but rather arc representative of another place on the circle of time.

Rather than advocating a particular political point of view, and rather than being a politician, a political scientist strives co analyze and describe political viewpoints and phenomena in a fair, neutral manner. If our world was intentionally fashioned by a creator god, for instance, then it bears the scamp of divine affirmation. Still, the benefits of comparative analysis outweigh the risks, and the potential pitfalls that these critics appropriately warn against can indeed be avoide d through a conscientious appro ach. monotheism The belief in only one god. These attempts at categorizing perspectives on ultimate reality involve some compli­ cations, invitation to world religions 2nd edition pdf download.